Sacrificing her Life for Love
by The Demigod Wizard
Summary: Out of love for Gale, Madge volunteers for Katniss in the 74th Hunger Games. She fights to the death, and the Games have a shocking ending...
1. The Games

"I volunteer as tribute!" I watch Katniss Everdeen, my only friend, walk up to the podium and prepare to enter the fight to the death. "NO!" I scream. "_I _volunteer as tribute!" I run up to the podium.

"What's your name, honey?" Effie Trinket asks me in a sickly sweet voice. "Madge Undersee," I choke out. "Ah, the mayor's daughter! Someone is a bit eager to prove herself worthy!" I swallow. I am going to die.

Many wonder why I did it. Honestly, a part of it was to save my friend, but mainly, it was for him. He loves her. He couldn't stand it if she died in the arena. And, because I love him, I couldn't stand to see him so miserable. But, surprisingly, my volunteering doesn't cheer him up.

I listen as Effie Trinket calls out the name of the boy tribute. "Peeta Mellark." He nods grimly and joins me at the podium. I hug him. He's always been a friend of mine, and he has the same unrequited love as I have. Katniss doesn't love any boy, and Gale loves Katniss. Peeta obviously loves Katniss, and I love Gale.

The interviews, good-byes, and such fly by quickly. We have the same lousy stylists as every other district twelve tribute did. Our mentor, Haymitch, is asleep as we go into the arena.

The time is up and I am running to the cornucopia. I sling a magenta knap sack onto my back and I run, farther and farther from the blood-bath. I am determined to last at least one day, and to let Gale know how I feel before I die. I know that my death will come soon, because I am not very strong or talented. All I can do is run and hide.

Once I finally find a creek, I settle down for the night. In my backpack, I find a pack of crackers, a canteen, iodine, an extra pair of boots, rope, dried beef, dried fruit, a thick blanket, a knife, and small bottle filled with a liquid that can make you breathe underwater for 1 hour per droplet. I drink 14 droplets-incase I oversleep, and I settle down for the night, but not after the pictures flash across the sky. Both from 3 are dead, as well as both from 6, 7, and 8. The boy from 5 is dead, the girl from 9 is dead, and so is the boy from 10. That leaves all of the tributes from 1, 2, 4, and 11, plus the girl from 5, the boy from 9, and the girl from 10. Oh, and me and Peeta. I sigh and I climb into the creek for the night.

When I awake, I am hungry, so I eat a cracker and a slice of apple. I fill my canteen with water and 4 drops of iodine, and I clasp it shut and continue traveling. I am now running. I hear footsteps behind me, and I see the district 10 girl that reminded me of Katniss. The girl has caramel-colored hair and green eyes, but she has Katniss's slight figure and braid down her back.

I smile at the girl, to let her know that I am a friend. She runs up to me and shoves me down. As I am about to scream, she covers my mouth, and I watch a spear fly above us and hit the near-bye tree. "Allies?" I suggest. She nods but she tugs me along, away from the careers.

We reach a large tree and she quickly teaches me to climb. After we are safely in the tree, I speak. "I'm Madge," I say. She grins. "I'm Almond. I remember you from the tapes. You-you were the one who volunteered for the girl who volunteered for her sister. She a friend of yours?" I nod. "But did you really enter the games, just because of a friendship?" I sigh. I might as well tell her the truth if I am going to die.

"Actually, it's her best friend. He-he loves her. And, well, I've been in love with him since forever. I couldn't let her go into the games. It would kill him." She shook her head. "Wow, Madge, that was amazing of you." I shrug. Now, Gale knows.

The next morning, Almond and I are being chased. We run, but I'm slower because I got injured when learning to climb. The big guy from district 2 catches up with me. "RUN, ALMOND!" I scream. "WIN THIS THING! GO!" The guy shoves me down with the butt of his spear, but Almond stays back to help me. She shoves him, but he just steps on me with one foot and aims his spear at her heart. Suddenly, he falls dead.

A gorgeous, blond-haired girl steps up toward us, bow in hand. I am just getting up when she aims an arrow at me. "You have 3 seconds and then I will kill you." I get up and silently nod at her. Almond and I run off, though I am grateful that G.B. (gorgeous blond) saved us from big guy.

With only 12 tributes left, the games heat up. Almond and I run across a nest of tracker jackers, but we hide underwater, thanks to the liquid. From underwater, she throws a large rock at the nest and it falls. We wait as the Tracker Jackers fly around. We're not aiming to kill, but we need those wasps out of the way. We later learn that they killed off the tributes from 4 and the boy from 9.

Now, it's only me, Almond, Peeta, G.B., the boy from 1, the girl from 5, the girl from 2, and both from 11. As Almond and I hide underwater, we hear the careers run by. We are dead silent. "We can't trust Glimmer anymore," says the girl from 2. "She killed Cato." The boy from 1 sighs. "But, Clove, she's my district partner, and my girlfriend's best friend. I need to trust her." He fingers a green gem that hangs on a leather strap around his neck. "Well, she killed _my _district partner!" snaps Clove, jabbing her knife toward his neck. This is when I know how to repay Glimmer for saving me.

I spring out of the water and I throw a boot at Clove's head, temporarily knocking her out. The boy freezes. "Why?" I take a breath. "Glimmer killed Cato because he almost killed me. Will you be my ally and leave the careers?" He nods slowly, and I give him 12 drops of liquid.

Underwater, he reveals that his name is Marvel and that he has a girlfriend back home named Jade. He's been training for the games his whole life because it's known in his town as a big honor and he doesn't want to be a failure. Almond and I talk about our home lives, and we all fall asleep.

Last night, the girl from 5 died. She has a foxed face. Today, we come across our worst challenge yet: Killerphants. The huge elephants nearly kill off Glimmer and I wipe tears out of my eyes. As she dies, I ask her why she saved my life. She smiles. "Because," she told me, "You saved that little girl. If her sister had gone in, she would've been miserable." I hug her and she closes her eyes. "Tell Jade I miss her," she whispers to Marvel, but he rifles through his backpack and finds medicine for her wounds. She survives. The Killerphants go off and get Clove instead.

We find Peeta. "Madge!" He cheers. He hugs me and I get him cleaned up. Now, all that we need to do is meet up with both from 11, because Almond has a plan.

When we find the 11s-Thresh and Rue-we become a team. Rue is small, like Katniss' sister, Prim. Glimmer, Marvel, Almond, Peeta, Thresh, Rue and I all know what to do. We all want to stay alive, so we came up with a plan (whispering, of course, so as not to be heard by the Capitol.) Almond already found some nightlock, too. We begin to act out a scene.

"I don't want any of you to die," Rue murmurs, tears pouring out of her eyes. She is an amazing actress, but I think that there is truth in what she is saying.

"Rue, you're like a baby sister to me," Thresh whispers.

Glimmer sighs. "Let's not think about that yet, guys. Let's get something to eat. I'm so hungry. Does anyone have any food left?" We had gotten rid of it earlier.

"Nah, Madge hid it in the tree so no animals could get it. Remember?" Peeta says.

"Well, actually," Almond says casually, "I have some berries leftover that I haven't eaten yet. Let's have those." She begins to distribute the nightlock to us when Rue speaks.

"That's odd-I've never seen these before, and we work with all kinds of berries in district 11. Are you sure that these are safe?"

"Yeah," Thresh continues for her, "Has anyone else seen these before?" We all shake our heads.

"Oh, well," says Marvel. "Our food is probably gone by now from the storm. Even if they were poisonous, poison would be a faster way to die than starvation." We all nod in agreement.

"And these look like little blueberries," I add. "Blueberries are harmless."

Rue grins. "And these look delicious. Let's all have some now." We each stuff a handful of berries into our mouths when Claudius Templesmith's voice booms over the loudspeaker.

"Due to the fact that all of the tributes are about to die-yes, those berries are poisonous-we have 6 victors of the 74th Hunger Games." Careful not to act like we did this on purpose, we all spit out the berries.

"Ugh!" Thresh groans. "How could I have been so stupid?"

Glimmer wipes tears from her eyes. "If it weren't for the Capitol, we would all be dead right now."

I play it up more. "Oh, thank you!" I weep. "My life is saved!"

Hovercrafts come and pick us up. We are all victors.

Before the after-the-game interview, President Snow comes to talk to us all. "How could you all have been so stupid?" He hisses. "Was this planned?" We all shake our heads. "Then why were you always whispering to each other?" I have an answer ready. "I-I was homesick but I didn't want the sponsors to think that I was weak." I blush. He sighs, but he believes. "Fine. But if _one _rebellion starts because of your stupidity-you're dead."

No rebellions start, luckily. Life back in District 12 is mostly normal. Katniss comes and sees me when I get back. She hugs me and looks at my mockingjay pin. "Is that a hand-me-down?" I nod. "Thanks for volunteering for me. I hope things work out for you." She smiles at me.

Later, my doorbell rings. It's Gale. "Is it, true, what you told Almond during the games?" He whispers before I even have time to say hello. I nod. "Look, Gale, I know that you're in love with Katniss. But-" Gale interrupts me with wide eyes. "In love with Katniss? Madge, she is like a sister to me. Nothing more. I'm in love with you. I have been, ever since that day that Katniss and I brought you the strawberries for the first time, and you were wearing the blue tunic with the black leggings, and your hair was up. You were casual and laughing, and you have always been so sweet to everyone. There is nothing going on between me and Katniss. Katniss loves Peeta, and I love you." I smile. "I love you, too." I kiss Gale, and we come apart when Peeta and Katniss come over, holding hands.

I laugh with delight at the sight of them, and I grin at Peeta. "You finally told her?" He nods. "And, well…" Katniss kisses his lips. I smile at Gale. "I guess that this is a happy ending." He hugs me. But secretly, we are all planning to escape District 12 eventually.


	2. New Plan

"This year," says President Snow, "We are bringing back victors." Tears flood my eyes and I clutch Gale's hand. "NO!" He hugs me, and I know that he is terrified for me. "I never thought that this would happen," I tell him, "But meet me at my house later with your family, the Everdeens, Haymitch, and the Mellarks. I will figure out a way to contact the victors I know. HURRY!"

Later, they're all in my house, along with my family, Chaff, Finnick, Annie, Almond, Thresh, Rue, Marvel, Jade, Glimmer, and their families. "Tonight," I say, "We escape in groups. Each family is a group. We go over the fence and out through the woods." I look at Haymitch. "It must end somewhere. There will be an ocean and maybe an island…" Haymitch just looks distracted.

"I found her old journal," I whisper to him. "It has a plan to escape. My mom knows, too, as well as Mrs. Everdeen. The bird death was a fake. She held her arm under her neck and it ate the tracker. You watched her die, but I'm nearly positive that she cured herself afterwards and escaped through a chink. My dad overheard officers saying that her body was never collected. We might find Aunt Maysilee." Haymitch sighs. "I doubt that, Sweetheart." I say aloud, "New plan: Haymitch and I will enter the arena. The night the games start, you all will escape. Beetee made a tracker system." I hand one tracker necklace to Gale and I keep the other. "This way, we can find each other. One person per family gets a tracker necklace. Haymitch gets one, too, but he and I will stick together." I hand the pin to Katniss. "Wear it. The tracker is my token. My Aunt found out a way to escape. Haymitch and I will find it-and her. Beetee's mom tracked her, too. Auntie told her the plan ahead of time and Auntie is tracked. The tracking is in Haymitch's necklace. We will meet up on that island."


End file.
